Show-case.



UNITED 'STATES 'PATENT FFICE.

JONATHAN SAMUEL HARPER, OF DAVID CITY, NEBRASKA.

lSHOW-CAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,712, dated May 7,1901.

Application led October 16,1900. Serial No. 33,258. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: t 1

Be it known that LJONATHAN SAMUEL HAR- PER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at David City, in the county of Butler and State ofNebraska, vhave invented a new and useful Show-Case, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates.to show-cases, and has for its object to providean improved device of this character which is especially designed fordisplaying bolted goods, such as laces, although capable of containingother articles. It is furthermore designed to provide an improvedinternal frame for supporting all of the articles and to have means forconveniently adjusting the frame within the` body of the case, so thatit may hang level therein.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawings,and particularlypointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes in the form,proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope ofthe'claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a show-caseconstructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a similar View taken atright angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional viewtaken through one upper corner of the inner removable frame and theadjacent portion of the cover of the case to show the adjustableconnection therebetween.

Corresponding partsare designated by like characters of reference in allof the figures of the drawings.

. Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the external casecomprises a bottom 1,

opposite wooden sides 2, and the glass sidesy or panels 3 for exposingthe interior of the' The upper open side ofv the case hasV portingskeleton frame formed by corner tubular iiprights or bars 7, which areconnected at their opposite ends by the vcross-bars 8, which are alsopreferably formed of tin or other sheet-metal tubes, so as to givelightness and strength to the frame. The frame may also be provided withintermediate upright .bars 9, if required for strength and according tothe size of the frame. Grooved supporting-ledges iO are connected to theinner sides of the opposite frame-bars, said ledges being arranged inopposite pairs and also parallel. It is preferable to form each ledgefrom a single blank of sheet metal, which is bent or folded so as to beof s'nbstantially V shape in cross-section and having its vertexsoldered or otherwise secured to the inner sides of opposite uprightframebars. When the frame has intermediate uprights, the ledges orstrips are' connected to the saine also, so as to be supported at theirintermediate points to prevent sagging. It will be seen by reference toFig. l that this frame is suspended from the removable top or cover ofthe case by means of adjustingscrews l1, which pass loosely throughsuitable openings formed through the top and engage nuts 12, securedtothe upper open ends of the tubular corner-uprights of the frame,whereby the inner ends of the screws are received within said uprights.By this arrangement the heads of the adjustingscrews Inay lie close tothe upper side of the top or cover, and by adjusting the screws theframe may be brought to a level within the case without projecting thescrews above the upper end of the case, whereby the latter is free fromprojections. Thus the frame does not rest upon the bottom of the case,although it may do so, if desired, and in any event it is carried by orsecured to the cover of the case, so that it may be conveniently liftedout of the case by the removal of the cover.

lt will be understood that the opposite ends of the grooves in theledges or strips are open, so that the card or'board 13 of the bolt letof lace may be slid endwise into a pair of \epposite grooves, from whichthe bolt may be removed at either end of the strips.

Although I have shown two glass sides and two wooden sides, it will ofcourse be understood that all of the sides may be formed of IOO thedrawings, the back panel of the case is 1 provided with hinges 15, so asto form a door, whereby access may be conveniently had to the interiorof the case. Moreover, the inner frame may be inserted through the doorin- Y stead of through the top of the case and the cover connected tothe frame after the latter 1 has been placed within the case.

l. A show-case, having transparent sides, a removable top, a lateraldoor, lan internal skeleton article-supporting frame suspended solelyfrom the top and removable therewith, and comprising corner-bars, andcross-bars connecting the same, said cross-bars being arranged endwiseto the door and forming supports for the articles to be displayedwhereby said articles may be inserted yand removed through the lateraldoor Without removing the frame from the case.

2. A show-case, comprising an outer glasspaneled case, a removable topor cover therefor, an inner article-supporting frame, and adjustablefastenings connecting the frame to the top or cover.

3. A show-case, comprising an outer glasspaneled case, an innerremovable articlesupporting frame, a removable top or cover for thecase, and screw-threaded adjustable connections between the cover andthe frame, said connections passing loosely vthrough openings in'thecover and engaging screwthreaded openings in the upper portion of theframe.

4. Ashow-case, comprisinga glass-paneled 4o external case, a removabletop or cover therefor, an internal skeleton article-supporting frame,having opposite pairs of grooved strips or ledges, and a connectionbetween the top or cover and the frame.

5, A show-case, comprising an outer glasspaneled case, aremovable top orcover therefor, 'an inner skeleton frame connected to and removable withthe cover or top, and pairs of opposite substantially V-shapedsheetmetal strips or ledges carried by the frame.

6. A show-case, comprising an outer glasspaneled case, a removable topor cover therefor, au innerA removable skeleton frame, having tubularuprights, nuts secured to the upper extremities of the uprghts,adjusting screw connections passing loosely through openings in the topor vcover and engaging the respective nuts, the inner ends ot' theadjusting connections being received within the tubular uprights, andarticle-supporting strips secured transversely across the ujprights of Ythe frame.

JONATHAN SAMUEL HARPER.

Witnesses:

O. E. MUNNs, PHILIr HARPER.

